Chapel Messages from FBTS Faculty
Dr. Doug Brown opens by asking whether anyone has the inner strength to change themselves, then argues that the honest answer is no — and that Ephesians 3:14-21 is precisely a prayer for the kind of strength only God can supply. He frames the passage as a hinge in Ephesians, connecting the theology of chapters 1-3 with the practical walk of chapters 4-6, and walks through Paul's posture, petitions, and closing praise.
Scripture Text
Ephesians 3:14-21
Main Points or Ideas
The Posture of Paul's Prayer (vv. 14-15) – Paul bows his knees before the Father, and while he doesn't use the word ”prayer,” the posture communicates humility and absolute submission to absolute authority. God is named as the Father of every family in heaven and on earth — the One with sovereign authority over all. Brown encourages students to try praying on their knees, because the posture of the body shapes the attitude of the heart.
The Petitions of Paul's Prayer (vv. 16-19) – Paul makes three requests, each a prayer for God-given strength. First, he prays for strength through the Holy Spirit in the inner being so that Christ may dwell fully in their hearts — not compartmentalized into certain rooms while other areas are closed off, but welcomed into every part of life. Second, he prays for strength to comprehend the breadth, length, height, and depth of the love of Christ — a love that is the believer's positional foundation and yet infinitely surpasses full understanding. Third, he prays that they would be filled with all the fullness of God — characterized by God himself, increasingly reflecting Christ's likeness through the Spirit's ongoing work.
The Praise of Paul's Prayer (vv. 20-21) – Paul closes with a doxology anchored in God's limitless ability: he can do far more abundantly than anything believers could ask or imagine, according to the power already at work within them. This is the God to whom Paul's three petitions are addressed, and it makes those requests all the more confident and hopeful.
Conclusion
Dr. Doug closes by inviting students to kneel and pray for a neighbor, applying the very posture and petitions of the text. The main idea he returns to throughout is simple: God wants his people to pray for strength so that they can be changed into Christ's likeness — and the God who receives those prayers is more than able to answer them.
